S R Nathan Celebrates NUS Hostel’s First Anniversary with Students
Text: Yip Wai Yan
Former president S R Nathan dined for the first time at the College of Alice and Peter Tan on Aug. 28 to commemorate the residential college’s one-year anniversary. An estimated 400 guests, including college residents and professors from various faculties at the National University of Singapore, attended the celebratory meal.
As guest of honour for the dormitory’s second-ever formal dinner, Nathan opened the event with a speech recounting his days living in a hostel at NUS, which was then known as the University of Malaya and located in Bukit Timah.
"I used to think that living in a hostel simply meant having a bed to sleep in," Nathan said. “But I realised that it is much more than that. It is about trying out new activities and making lifelong friends.”
The former president advised the students to use their time in the residential college, which is commonly referred to as CAPT, as an opportunity to begin networking.
“Even though it has been 50 years since my undergraduate days, I still keep in close contact with my suitemates,” he said. “It is the connections I have made as a student that have helped bring me to where I am today. I recommend all of you to continue strengthening your friendships even after you leave CAPT.”
To illustrate the importance of maintaining strong ties, Nathan said that he probably would not have been invited to this occasion had he not been friends with J Y Pillay, a former top-ranking civil servant and CAPT’s current rector.
The ex-president also entertained guests with comical anecdotes about his dorm life. He said he had to get used to living in a suite with a toilet that was never clean and suitemates who played music loudly.
Ng Kok Ann, a fourth-year civil engineering undergraduate who was part of the college’s pilot group of residents, said that he enjoyed seeing a more “down-to-earth” side of Nathan.
“S R Nathan surprised me because I didn’t expect him to have such a good sense of humour,” Ng said. “His funny stories about his hostel life really resonated with me. I guess no matter how many years have passed and no matter what ranking one has in society, we can still laugh about the same university experiences.”
After closing his speech with well-wishes to the CAPT residents in leading successful university lives, Nathan joined the students for a three-course Western-style meal.
Grace Ann Chua, a member of CAPT’s College Students’ Committee, sat next to Nathan for the duration of the night.
“It was exciting to dine with someone of such great importance to Singapore,” Chua said. “I didn’t know what to say to him at first but he is actually quite easy to talk to. I was interested to learn about his life accomplishments but I think he was even more interested in learning about the student life in CAPT.
He kept focusing the conversation on us, the students, and asking us about our hostel activities and interest groups. This shows how even though S R Nathan is such a prominent figure, he still acts like your everyday Singaporean.”
Tags: breaking news
Former president S R Nathan dined for the first time at the College of Alice and Peter Tan on Aug. 28 to commemorate the residential college’s one-year anniversary. An estimated 400 guests, including college residents and professors from various faculties at the National University of Singapore, attended the celebratory meal.
As guest of honour for the dormitory’s second-ever formal dinner, Nathan opened the event with a speech recounting his days living in a hostel at NUS, which was then known as the University of Malaya and located in Bukit Timah.
"I used to think that living in a hostel simply meant having a bed to sleep in," Nathan said. “But I realised that it is much more than that. It is about trying out new activities and making lifelong friends.”
The former president advised the students to use their time in the residential college, which is commonly referred to as CAPT, as an opportunity to begin networking.
“Even though it has been 50 years since my undergraduate days, I still keep in close contact with my suitemates,” he said. “It is the connections I have made as a student that have helped bring me to where I am today. I recommend all of you to continue strengthening your friendships even after you leave CAPT.”
To illustrate the importance of maintaining strong ties, Nathan said that he probably would not have been invited to this occasion had he not been friends with J Y Pillay, a former top-ranking civil servant and CAPT’s current rector.
The ex-president also entertained guests with comical anecdotes about his dorm life. He said he had to get used to living in a suite with a toilet that was never clean and suitemates who played music loudly.
Ng Kok Ann, a fourth-year civil engineering undergraduate who was part of the college’s pilot group of residents, said that he enjoyed seeing a more “down-to-earth” side of Nathan.
“S R Nathan surprised me because I didn’t expect him to have such a good sense of humour,” Ng said. “His funny stories about his hostel life really resonated with me. I guess no matter how many years have passed and no matter what ranking one has in society, we can still laugh about the same university experiences.”
After closing his speech with well-wishes to the CAPT residents in leading successful university lives, Nathan joined the students for a three-course Western-style meal.
Grace Ann Chua, a member of CAPT’s College Students’ Committee, sat next to Nathan for the duration of the night.
“It was exciting to dine with someone of such great importance to Singapore,” Chua said. “I didn’t know what to say to him at first but he is actually quite easy to talk to. I was interested to learn about his life accomplishments but I think he was even more interested in learning about the student life in CAPT.
He kept focusing the conversation on us, the students, and asking us about our hostel activities and interest groups. This shows how even though S R Nathan is such a prominent figure, he still acts like your everyday Singaporean.”
Tags: breaking news